Some time back. Ilford announced the manufacture of an indoor darkroom tent! Don't know what came of it.
Well, if it's indeed a shopping cart I would use it to haul materials for a nice shed.
I’m not 100% sure the kids would be keen on their new bedroom but thank you for the perspective ;-)A shipping container???
All I can say is "It's the thought that counts!"
Move what's in one of the rooms in the house OUT to the shipping container -- and turn that EMPTY room into a darkroom -- with insulation, drainage, ventilation, plumbing, electricity, heating, cooling, etc. etc.
Calling @calebarchie
They've done exactly that - https://www.thecontainerlab.com/blog AND they're here in Australia ☺
I don't know which state you're in, but there are Aussies all about on Photrio and hopefully there might be one of us nearby who experience the same weather as you and will know local sources to help you get going.
Welcome to Photrio from the southern end of Australia!
My darkroom is in my garage with no running water or drainage. I bring in filtered water in gallon jugs. Washing film and prints takes place in a utility sink outside the garage, draining into a bucket or sometimes directly into the ground. Used chemistry is stored in jugs and picked up every few months by the city’s hazardous waste program. Make sure the structure you intend to use has some sort of ventilation.
probably also some sort of temperature control - it can be a hassle if ambient temperature is very hot or cold.
Back to your original plan, will the solar panels supply enough power for an enlarger, timer and safe lights? Will there be some sort of battery storage for cloudy, dark days or if he wants to work into the night? Also, if he is developing film in the winter, it is nice to have an electric kettle to warm water, and a frozen bottle of water to cool down water so he can work within a 5-10º range of 68º.
Room temperature control is good, too. My garage is insulated so doesn't get too hot. A fan helps on warmer days, but can blow dust around. I have an oil-filled radiator for chilly days. A ceramic and other similar electric heaters produce light that would most probably fog paper. If the weather is too cold or too hot, I skip darkroom work altogether.
As far as drainage is concerned, there is an alternate I have looked into but never followed though--an RV water tank on wheels that would fit under the sink and could be taken out and drained as necessary.
Thank you SO much for taking the time to write this reply.Insulation must be first, the space has to be workable, and comfortable Fall, Spring and mild Summers, but you need to watch for too thickly insolated walls, which will limit internal space availability.
Secondly, the building MUST need to be secured to the earth, by do it yourself, concrete piers if able, not by a hill that water or debris can strike/pile up against the storage container, or winds lift it up off supports.
Equally importantly, elevated over all and pinned at 18 inches from and above the Earth to the door threshold so no flash flooding or snow fall, of moderate depth can prevent usage.
To help with drainage, both from nature and darkroom washing, make sure your "OUT" drain pipe is protected from critters taking home inside the vent or plants growing up and the drainage is able to run away from the darkroom, by digging and installing a trench filled with water rounded pebbles, in a square/rectangle surround of the building and external power supply which leads flowing water away from the site and not toward any other infrastructure, on property or off.
(For chemistry that needs disposal of, a plastic industrial barrel with a screened and rain protective cover, where you can allow the water portions of developers, fixers, etc to evaporate, before gathering the dry residue and disposing of it.)
Third is to make all electricals, boxes, etc, join up to a free standing, roofed, bulletin board, before a single line takes power into the building's electrical system.
I believe it is more safe to do this than hang the boxes and junctures onto a metal shipping container, only allowing safety outlets to run inside.
That's my personal starting up advice.
P.S., water usage can be done completely for film developing and black & white papers, by getting him to use the Ilford Methods for both.
Thank you! I can envision this and can understand the process well when you explain it this way, thank you!Welcome to Photrio!
I have a dry darkroom for the enlarger and drum print dryer, that was a bedroom. The wet darkroom is my master bathroom, where a put a board across the two sinks and place four trays. The bathtub holds the print washer.
That is a very nice thing that you are doing for your husband.
You are a very understanding wife. You are a treasure! I have a darkroom in my motorhome and water usage in a motorhome has to be closely monitored or you can't shower or use the toilet. I use the Ilford wash method for my film and only use RC papers in the motorhome. A 20 litre jug of water is enough for a session. I have holding tanks to catch the wash water and I save the spent chemistry and bring it back to my main darkroom.
Check your local regulations for waste disposal. Mine told me to just evaporate the water off and discard it into the solid landfill trash. I live on the topside of the world so it may be different where you reside.
Another guy as lucky in choosing a wife as I was. My wife not only never complained about photography expenditures, she often insisted that I buy camera, lens, whatever.
I used a small room without running water for several years by using jugs and buckets.
I agree with a previous suggestion: clear a room for darkroom equipment in the house and store contents in container. I could even see one side devoted to darkroom and other side to other activities, depending upon the size of the room. Long ago I cut down on space needed for trays by using a Nova print developer (Don’t know if these are still available new).
Thank you! It’s actually going to be based on our bush block which in future we will build on, but initially it will be there with our current basic set up!
Sadly our house has no options for him… otherwise I would love to have him do this at home! We are also very lucky to be blessed with all of the beautiful images he captures!
Plus it keeps him busy!
Maybe this could help you with setting up your "con-ex" dark space.
This US Army Portable Darkroom is For Sale for $2,500
Live near Hillsborough, North Carolina and have space in your backyard for a darkroom? Someone's selling a sweet US Army portable darkroom for $2,500. Thepetapixel.com
I’m not 100% sure the kids would be keen on their new bedroom but thank you for the perspective ;-)
Thank you SO much for taking the time to write this reply.
I’m going to go through all of these responses and take many notes so ensure we have considered everything we need to!
I’m really grateful for your input and knowledge. Thank you once again!
I wish that ad wasn’t in 2016 USA! I would be pressing buy now!!great inspiration thank you!
Calling @calebarchie
They've done exactly that - https://www.thecontainerlab.com/blog AND they're here in Australia ☺
I don't know which state you're in, but there are Aussies all about on Photrio and hopefully there might be one of us nearby who experience the same weather as you and will know local sources to help you get going.
Welcome to Photrio from the southern end of Australia!
Tha
Thank you so much!! What a great connection
Some time back. Ilford announced the manufacture of an indoor darkroom tent! Don't know what came of it.
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